1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a cordless telephone which receives caller information from an incoming telephone call. More particularly, it relates to a cordless telephone having multiple handsets and the capability to utilize call related information (e.g., Caller ID information) to identify an intended called party and thus route the incoming ring signal and/or voice conversation to only the designated handset.
2. Background of Related Art
Conventional cordless telephones having a base unit and multiple handsets are known in the art. Multiple handsets allow a number of users in a household to have their own private handset while allowing the efficiency and convenience of requiring only a single base unit to be connected to the telephone line. When an incoming call comes to a conventional base unit, all handsets are sent a ring signal, causing all handsets to ring and the possibility that any user might answer the incoming call.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional cordless telephone including a plurality of handsets.
In particular, in FIG. 4, a cordless telephone 11 is connected to a telephone company central office 13 via a telephone line 15. The cordless telephone 11 includes, e.g., three handsets 14a to 14c, and a base unit including a controller 19, an alpha-numeric keypad 32, a display 27, and a telephone line interface (TLI) 17. The cordless telephone 11 might also include a call related information detector/receiver 22 for receiving, e.g., Caller ID information such as a telephone number and/or household name of a calling party.
The telephone line interface (TLI) 17 provides the necessary isolation and DC and AC impedance as required by local telephone company standards. The telephone line interface 17 also provides a ring detect signal present on the telephone line 15 to the controller 19 for relay to all three handsets 14a to 14c when an incoming call is detected.
The call related information detector/receiver 22 can be incorporated within the cordless telephone 11, as illustrated in FIG. 4, or can be separate from the cordless telephone 11 but connected to the same telephone line 15 (not shown).
The call related information is typically transmitted from the telephone company central office 13 to the called party either while all handsets 14a to 14c of the called party""s cordless telephone 11 are in an on-hook state (e.g., Type I Caller ID service), e.g., between the first two rings, or while any of the handsets 14a to 14c of the called party""s cordless telephone 11 is in an off-hook state (e.g., Type II Caller ID/Call Waiting (CIDCW) service).
The detected and received call related information is typically displayed on the display 27 at the base unit of the cordless telephone 11 for any of the users of the multiple handsets 14a to 14c to view. Thus, by using a call related information service, e.g., Calling Identity Delivery (Caller ID), the user of the conventional cordless telephone 11 can determine the telephone number and/or household name of the calling party before the incoming call is answered. Thus, to determine who the incoming call might be intended for before answering, each of the users of the multiple handsets 14a to 14c must go the base unit and view the call related information.
It is often important and desirable that the calling party reach only an intended one of the plurality of users of the cordless telephone 11. Unfortunately, conventional cordless telephones having multiple handsets provide a ring signal to all handsets 14a to 14c in response to an incoming call and allow any user to converse with the calling party. Thus, when a calling party calls the conventional cordless telephone 11, all handsets 14a to 14c will ring or otherwise signal the presence of the incoming call and allow any user to enter the conversation regardless of which person the incoming telephone call is destined to.
One conventional solution to this problem is the installation of separate telephone lines and separate cordless telephones. However, this solution is costly both as to the cost of maintaining a plurality of telephone lines and as to the cost of a separate base unit for each telephone line. Moreover, the convenience of a single telephone number for any of a plurality of users would be lost.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus and method which improves privacy with a multiple handset cordless telephone by allowing a caller to ring only the intended handset of a multiple handset cordless telephone, and/or to converse only with the intended user.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a cordless telephone comprises a plurality of handsets, and a base unit associated with the plurality of handsets. The base unit includes a telephone line interface, a controller, a call related information receiver, a transceiver adapted to communicate with the plurality of handsets, and a call related information/handset association table accessible by the controller. The call related information/handset association table is adapted to contain entries associating particular call related information with a desired one of the plurality of handsets. The controller directs an incoming telephone call to only an intended one of the plurality of handsets based on a match determined as between call related information received with the incoming telephone and one of the entries in the call related information/handset association table.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cordless telephone system comprises a base unit including a telephone line interface. At least two handsets are associated with and supported by the base unit. A controller within the base unit is adapted to control operations of the cordless telephone system. A call related information detector/receiver is adapted to receive call related information with respect to an incoming call, and an incoming ring signal/call routing module is in communication with the controller. The incoming ring signal/call routing module is adapted to cause routing of at least one of a ring signal and a voice conversation with respect to the incoming call to one of the at least two handsets based on received call related information.
A method of call routing an incoming telephone to only a designated one of a plurality of handsets associated with a cordless telephone, in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprises receiving call related information with respect to an incoming call. Subsequent ring signals associated with the incoming call are routed to a designated one of the plurality of handsets based on a pre-stored association of call related information relating to the incoming call and the designated one of the plurality of handsets.
A method of call routing an incoming telephone call to a designated handset of a cordless telephone, the cordless telephone having multiple handsets associated with a single base unit, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention comprises storing a plurality of predetermined call related information. Call related information with respect to a caller is received. The received call related information with respect to the caller is compared to the stored plurality of predetermined call related information. At least one of a ring signal and the incoming telephone call are forwarded to only a designated one of the handsets if a match is found with respect to the comparison of the received call related information.